Grief: A DS9 Story
by Mcfergeson
Summary: Just when Kira thought she knew Odo, his reaction to the death of a friend surprises her greatly. Yet she and the rest of the DS9 crew will be further startled by a revelation to come.
1. Chapter 1

-1_I figured it was high time to re-visit the good folks aboard the Deep Space Nine spacestation. This story, Grief, is a sequel to my earlier DS9 story, Heart. Like Heart, it continues to explore the growing, and ever evolving, relationship between Odo and Kira Nerys, who were among my favorite characters from that series. But, unlike Heart--which was originally written for a contest, and had to be no longer than 2000 words--Grief had no such restrictions placed on it. And so I took advantage of the longer form to dig deeper into the world of DS9._

_Like Heart, Grief is really a more personal story--call it a drama, if you will. And like Heart, Grief won't be an epic. I plan to end this within the next chapter. It takes place during the series' fourth season, when Worf was aboard the station. I hope you enjoy it. _

_Disclaimer: these characters are the property of Paramount, and were created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. I'm not making any money off of this. _

_**Star Trek: Deep Space Nine**_

_**Grief** _

_**Chapter One**_

Odo and his protégée, Élan Li, had decided to make another sweep of the Promenade before they returned to the main security office, and it was a good thing they did--for when they strode by Quark's, Odo heard a louder than usual commotion coming from within the establishment. It was still too early in the day for the Dabo games and other sordid entertainment to be running, so the yelling was definitely something that Odo figured he should check out.

When he entered Quark's with Deputy Élan, Odo found the bar's namesake, a short Ferengi who was clad in loud clothing, busy trying to calm the nerves of Major Kira and Lieutenant Commander Dax, who were both very angry and were not holding back in how they felt about the matter. Quark's brother, Rom, stood off to the side fidgeting nervously.

"It will be taken care of," Quark assured the women, "it will all be taken care of, Commander."

"The holo-suite ate our stuff, Quark!" Dax told him, still angry. She and Kira stood dripping wet, each clad only in one piece swimsuits. The meager hand towels that they had been given by Quark were obviously not large enough to dry them.

"Uh, that's not possible," Rom meekly interjected. "Most likely, your personal effects were swept away along with everything else…."

"Oh, really?" Kira said, her tone heavy with sarcasm. Like Dax, her hair was wet to the point where it was slicked back against her head. "Is that supposed to make us feel better?"

"Yes, Rom, what _were_ you thinking?!" Quark said, abruptly turning on his poor brother.

Taking about as much of this scene as he could, Odo stepped over and said, "May I ask what is going on?"

"Now, now, Odo," Quark chided, as he quickly stepped in-between the Constable and the angry women. "There's no need for your services here. We have the situation well under--"

Odo placed a hand on Quark's shoulder and firmly shoved him to one side. "_I _decide whether or not my services are needed, Quark." Giving Kira and Dax a concerned look, he asked, "Are you two all right?"

"Yes, we're fine," Kira replied.

"Considering we've just had to practically swim out of the holo-suite," Dax added, shooting Quark an angry look. She held out her arms, indicating her dripping body, and added, "We were struck by a hurricane in there!"  
"I take it that was not what you had planned?" Odo asked.

"No, see, the program was supposed to be the tropical beaches of Vaile," Kira explained. "And that's what it _was_ at first--until the hurricane hit!"

"Without warning, I might add," Dax said. "One second, it was a blissful tropical paradise, and the next, we were in the middle of a deluge!"

"Before we knew it, the high winds blew all of our stuff away, and we couldn't even stop the program!" Kira added. "We were lucky to have found the door when we did, or else we would have drowned in there!"

"I already apologized to them," Quark told Odo. "There's really nothing more that can be done at this point."

"Well, for one thing, you could give the Major and Commander larger towels," Odo said. "And then there's the matter of their personal belongings. I take it the program is still running."

"I cut power to that holo-suite," Rom helpfully told him. "The program has shut down, but the place is still a mess."

Quark shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid your personal effects are gone, then, ladies."

"What?!" Kira cried, shocked.

"Oh no," Dax said, angrily shaking her head. "Wait one minute, here--"

They both grew quiet when Odo held up a hand. "Quark, that holo-suite shall remain closed to _all_ until the personal effects of Major Kira and Commander Dax are found, understood?"

Quark shook his head. "But I have paying customers who're waiting to use that--"

Ignoring him, Odo promptly turned to Élan and said, "Li, inform the security office that we need a sizable force of deputies in Quark's on the double. They are to permanently shut down _all_ of Quark's holo-suites, until-this matter is properly resolved."

"Wait! Wait!" Quark said, nervously, just as Élan raised her hand to her comm-badge.

Odo held up a hand to stop Élan. "Yes, Quark?"

"As I was about to say," Quark began, "the management here at Quark's will not rest until we find the belongings of Commander Dax and Major Kira!"

"And if the items can't be found, of if they are severely damaged, then you shall compensate the Major and Commander for them," Odo added.

Quark leaned over to Odo and muttered, "You're killing me here, Constable…."

"Am I?" Odo replied with mock concern. "Oh…_good_."

Quark just shook his head glumly. "Great doing business with you, as always, Odo...."

Dax came over and stuck her finger in Quark's face. "If you want to _continue_ doing business, Quark, you'd better get your holo-decks in order!"

She then stormed out of the bar, angrily brushing past Chief O'Brien and Commander Worf near the entrance, who both stared after Dax in puzzlement.

As they walked over to the group, Worf took note of Major Kira's swimsuit and asked, "Was there an aquatic sporting event held here?"

"From the looks of things, it was a _female_ aquatic sporting event," O'Brien said good-naturedly to Worf. "And we just missed it--pity!"

O'Brien visibly deflated when Kira shot him a withering look. "How's Keiko doing, Chief?" she pointedly asked.

O'Brien's face grew red as he sheepishly took a seat at the bar. "Uh, she's fine, Major."

Rom came up to Kira with several of the small towels in his hands. "These are the only size I could find," he said apologetically. "But if you could wait, Major, I could sew all of these into a larger size for you!"

Kira rolled her eyes upwards. "Never mind, Rom."

As she left the bar, Odo followed and Élan went with him--until she saw Quark make a broad welcoming gesture to O'Brien and Worf. "What can I get for you two fine gentlemen?" he said grandiosely.

Élan leaned in-between the Starfleet officers and said, "Whatever you two do, steer clear of Quark's holo-decks for the time being."

"Will do, Deputy," O'Brien said. "Thanks for the tip!"

"Do you mind?!" Quark said, annoyed. He glanced at Odo and added, "This is now bordering on harassment!"

"If I ever do decide to harass you, Quark, you'd know it," Odo muttered, as he strode out of the bar with Élan. He nodded at her. "Good move."

"It's what you've said yourself sir," Élan said. "We're more than security here, we're also public servants for the common good."

"Good to see you've taken to heart some of the things I've taught you," Odo replied, pleased. He searched the crowds for Kira, and quickly found her. Since she was presently the only person on the Promenade who was dressed for the beach, Kira stuck out quite easily.

"Major," Odo called, as he hurried to join her.

She stopped and regarded him anxiously. "What is it, Odo? Something wrong?"

"It's nothing, Major. I'd just thought I walk you back to your quarters," he explained.

"If you'll excuse me, Constable, Major," Élan said. "I think I shall report back to the office."

"You're welcome to join us, Deputy," Odo said.

"That's all right, sir," Élan replied, as she glanced at Odo and Kira with a slight smile. "I have some reports to make, anyway. I'll keep the desk seat warm for you."

As Élan quickly turned and walked away, Odo was about to ask her about the humorous look she had given them--until Kira leaned over and said, "It's just an expression."

Odo stared at her. "What is?"

"Keeping the seat warm," Kira said. "That doesn't mean she's actually going to sit in your seat."

Odo patiently nodded. "Yes, Major, I know."

"Sorry," Kira sheepishly said. "It's just that these human expressions are popping up all over the station lately--everybody seems to be using them, now, and I just wanted to make sure…."

Odo placated her by gently placing a hand on her arm. "I appreciate how you're always watching my back, Major, no matter what the situation. No, I was wondering what was the meaning behind that odd little look that Élan just gave us."

Now Kira abruptly gave him a broad grin. "Well, why _are_ you walking me back to my quarters, anyway? Afraid I might lose my way?"

"No, I just figured you might like some company," Odo said, now wondering why he even bothered. "If you'd rather I'd not--"

"No, no, that's all right. You know I always love your company." As they strode down the promenade, Kira glanced back in the direction Élan had departed. "She's really come a long way since she first arrived at DS9, huh?"

"Deputy Élan? Yes, she has. In fact, she's become one of the best--if not _the_ best--of my deputies. I've recently been giving some serious thought to promoting her."

Kira smiled as they ascended to the second level of the Promenade. "From what I've been hearing about her, she's certainly earned it. Élan handled herself very well during that Dopterian situation." Then she frowned slightly. "Do you know what the term 'bee's knees' means?"

Odo shook his head. "Can't say I've ever heard of that term."

"It's what Doctor Bashir said to me, regarding a new drink that Quark's got," Kira told him. "Julian said it was 'the bee's knees.'"

"If I'm not mistaken, a bee is an earth insect," Odo said.

"Yes. Apparently, Julian meant it in reference to the fact that the drink was very good." Kira just gave him a helpless shrug. "I'm still wondering what that has to do with the anatomy of a bee."

"Just another odd earth expression, I suppose," Odo said.

"Élan Li to Constable Odo," a familiar female voice said urgently over his communicator.

Odo tapped his comm-badge. "Yes, Deputy?"

"Sir, we've received reports of suspicious activity on one of the upper docking pylons," Élan reported. "Where the Tarkio is docked."

Odo exchanged a strange look with Kira. The Tarkio was an unarmed civilian transport of Kaferian registry--one of many that docked at the station on a regular basis.

"What kind of suspicious activity?" Odo asked.

"They appear to be making ready to leave without authorization," Élan said.

Kira's eyes grew wide with alarm. "They're not due to ship out until two days from now. Their passengers haven't even arrived yet from Bajor! What are they doing?"

"That's a very good question, Major," Odo said. "Deputy Élan, how are you situated to handle things?"

"I've got an armed squad of deputies with me, Constable. We're on our way up the pylon. We'd thought we would wait for you."

"Don't," Odo said, as he ran for the nearest turbo lift. "Continue ahead without me, I'll catch up to you."

"_We'll_ catch up," Kira corrected him, as she ran by his side. "I'm coming with you."

Odo nodded. "Very well, Major."

When they entered the turbo lift, Kira instinctively slapped her comm-badge, only to roll her eyes in disgust when she realized she was still clad in her swimsuit. "Uh, Odo? Would you mind calling--?"

"Allow me, Major," Odo said, as he called Ops and informed them of the situation.

"All right, Constable," Captain Sisko acknowledged. "I'll meet you up there."

Once the turbo lift reached the top of the docking pylon, both Odo and Kira were startled when it felt as if the entire station began to shudder violently. A low pitched rumble could be heard--and felt--as the doors flew open to reveal several emergency klaxons flashing in the dim hallways. The entire structure of the pylon itself continued to shake violently as they made their way into the corridor, where Odo saw a trio of his deputies sprawled out on the floor.

Kira went to slap her non-existent comm-badge once more--until she stopped herself with an annoyed shake of her head. She quickly bent down to examine one of the constables.

"She's alive, but just barely," Kira reported, as she took the woman's comm-badge and placed it on her swimsuit. She then used it to call in a medical emergency to Dr. Bashir.

Odo checked the other two unconscious deputies and were satisfied that they were alive.

'But where was Deputy Élan?' Odo anxiously wondered. She was nowhere to be seen.

When he gazed through the window of the docking pylon door, Odo was stunned at the sight before him. There should have been a short corridor that contained two more doors just beyond this one, which led straight to the docked ship. But all Odo saw now was empty space. It looked as if the Tarkio, in its haste to escape, had ripped off this section of the docking pylon.

Kira let out a gasp of shock when she peered through the window. Then she slapped her comm-badge. "Kira to Ops, what's the status on the Tarkio? Did it get away?"

"Afraid it did, Major," Chief O'Brien reported, sounding frustrated. "It went to warp the moment it cleared the station. And the station's tractor beams are down, for some damn reason…."

Kira looked shocked. "You don't think they took Deputy Élan with them as a hostage?"

"That's a distinct possibility, Major." Odo was about to ask the station computer to find Deputy Élan, until he saw a body drifting in the void of space outside.

It was Élan Li. She drifted serenely with her arms spread out wide, as if ready to embrace a lover.

As Kira let out a horrified gasp, Odo called Ops and ordered an emergency transport lock on Deputy Élan's comm-badge. "Transport her directly to the infirmary! Medical emergency--exposure to space!"

Deputy Élan vanished within a shimmer of light, to reappear within the infirmary--where, Odo hoped, they could still help her.

Kira reached out and squeezed his arm in a comforting gesture. "Maybe you got to her in time. Maybe it wasn't too late."

Odo nodded grimly. He did not know how long she had been out there, exposed to the harsh environs of space. Odo forced himself to shove aside the nagging concern he felt for Élan; he had done all that he could do for her.

But right now, he had a job to do.

Captain Sisko arrived, along with Worf and a full medical team, and Odo and Kira gave them a run-down on what happened--at least as far as they knew. When one of the injured deputies was revived by the medics, he insisted on telling Odo and the Captain what had happened.

"It was Li, sir," the deputy said, as he struggled to remain awake on the gurney. He was in obvious pain. "We were in the docking corridor, when the ship began to take off--it was still attached to the pylon! The doors automatically began to close, sealing us in, but Li did a manual override at the console. She was still caught inside in the docking corridor just as it ruptured!"

"She's been beamed directly to the infirmary," Odo assured him.

"I'm sure they're doing all they can for her down there," Sisko added. Then he gestured for the medics to get the injured man to the infirmary.

Odo waited as Sisko glared out at the extensive damage to the docking pylon through the window. Then the Captain turned around and gazed at Odo and Kira. "The Tarkio, I assume it cleared the usual checks?"

"It did," Odo said with a nod. "It's of Kaferian registry."

"Although not members of the Federation, the Kaferians have been valued allies for more than two centuries," Worf interjected. "It is unlikely their government is behind this."

"They're a peaceful race. This doesn't sound like something they would do," Kira said in agreement. "So we're looking at a scenario where somebody other than the crew had taken over the Tarkio."

"Who?" Sisko wanted to know.

"The best way to begin to determine that is to first eliminate the crew as suspects," Odo said. "And the best way to do _that_ would be to find out if the crew of the Tarkio are still on board the station."

"Chief O'Brien reported earlier that the station's tractor beams weren't working," Kira said.

"That is correct," Worf replied with a curt nod. "He is presently working with Lt. Commander Dax to restore power to the tractor beam system."

Kira slowly shook her head. "The tractor beams go down right when the Tarkio makes its big break? The timing of this is just too good to be true for me."

"We suspect sabotage," Sisko said. "Perhaps Dominion infiltration."

"That would narrow down the number of suspects greatly," Odo said. "However, I should still go and rule out the ship's crew, first."  
"Do that, Constable," Sisko said. "Let's cover all the bases, first."

Yet before Odo could even leave to begin his investigation, his comm-badge chimed. "Bashir to Odo."  
Odo acknowledged the call by touching his comm-badge. "Yes, Doctor?"

"I need to see you in the infirmary, Constable," Bashir said, sounding urgent. "Right away."

"I was just on my way down to my office, Doctor," Odo replied, as he continued walking. "I'll stop by on the way."

Once he arrived in the infirmary, Bashir greeted him in the outer office. The young doctor looked weary and downbeat. "Odo, I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but there was nothing we could do for Deputy Élan."

Odo blinked at him, not comprehending what he meant. He was about to ask, since there was nothing Dr. Bashir could do, if this meant that Élan Li would be moved to Bajor, or to a Starfleet facility that could better care for her.

But then he glanced behind Bashir and saw the body that lay on the examination table. It was covered from head to toe with a sheet. And that was when it had finally sunk in for Odo: Élan Li, his favorite of all of his deputies, and the young woman whom he considered to be his protégé, was dead.

###

Kira Nerys emerged from her quarters fully dressed in her standard Bajoran military uniform. Although it had now been a few hours since the news, she still shook her head in disbelief at the fact that Élan Li was gone. So young, and so full of promise, Li seemed to Nerys as if she was a shining example of the new generation that came of age on Bajor; a child of war who--as an adult--now rose to help take charge of the future for herself and her fellow Bajorans.

'But the future is proving to be just as dangerous as the Cardassian occupation was in the past,' Nerys thought glumly. 'It's become sadly obvious that Li's generation will have their own dangerous challenges to face.'

Nerys paused in her stride when she heard a familiar voice behind her say, "Now that's more like it!"

Nerys turned and smiled in puzzlement at Jadzia, who caught up to her in the corridor. "What's more like it?"

"You've worn your swimsuit for so long today, I was starting to think you were pushing for a new uniform change," Jadzia replied, as they both entered the turbo lift. "Although, I've got to admit, the comm-badge was a nice look with that particular swimsuit."

Nerys smiled wanly at Jadzia's joke. She had actually been so busy working with Captain Sisko and Odo on setting up the investigation into who could be behind this incident--as well as coordinating the repairs to the docking pylon--that Nerys had completely forgotten she had still worn her swimsuit the whole time. Until just now, when she had stopped by her quarters long enough to change.

Still, the sorrow Nerys felt over the death of Élan Li had washed away any appreciation she had for humor right now.

Jadzia appeared to understand, for she somberly said, "I'm very sorry about Deputy Élan, Nerys."

"Thanks," Nerys said, as the sadness once more welled up within her. She took a deep breath and shook it off. There would be time to mourn later; right now, she had to stay focused on the tasks that had to be completed. One of which was a complete sensor sweep of the station that had been ordered by the Captain. They still didn't know why the Tarkio was in such a hurry to leave--but Sisko wanted to make sure it wasn't because the Tarkio crew had left a bomb behind on the station.

"Were you close with Deputy Élan?" Jadzia asked.

"Not really," Nerys admitted. "I mean, I liked her very much; but Odo was much closer to her than I was. I suppose I feel more sad for his sake than for mine. It's a terrible loss for him."

Jadzia's eyes narrowed. "Just how close _were_ Odo and Deputy Élan, if you don't mind my asking?"

"It was strictly a mentor/apprentice relationship, that became a platonic friendship," Nerys answered. "Odo was _very_ fond of her."

Jadzia nodded abruptly. The disconcerted look on her face was so troubling to Nerys that she asked, "Something wrong?"

"Well, it's just that…." Jadzia then paused, as if not knowing how to put her feelings into words. "From what I've seen of Odo, he certainly doesn't _look_ very sad over Li's death."

Nerys understood what she meant. Odo was always so stoic regarding his feelings--almost to a fault. "Odo's a very private individual. Besides, he's been caught up in the bomb sweep of the station that the Captain ordered."

"Yes, of course," Jadzia said with a nod. The turbo lift doors opened and they stepped out. "All of us have been racing at Warp Nine since this happened. We haven't had a chance to do anything but focus on our work."

"Maybe that's for the best," Nerys said. The nonstop work Nerys had been engaged in kept her mind off of the loss of Deputy Élan; and she hoped it was the same for Odo--for his sake.

They entered the conference room, and around the table was seated Worf, Odo, Julian Bashir and Chief O'Brien. When she saw Sisko was not present, Nerys turned to Worf and asked, "Is the Captain still speaking with the Kaferians?"

"Yes, he is," the Klingon confirmed. "He shall join us shortly."

Almost as if on cue, Benjamin Sisko entered the conference room with a scowl on his face. It wasn't hard for Nerys to see there was something wrong.

Once he took his seat, along with everyone else, Sisko said, "I just got finished speaking with the Kaferian government, and they have never even _heard_ of a ship named the Tarkio."

Odo leaned forward. "That tracks with the fact that the Tarkio's crew are nowhere to be found on the station."

"So the ship was never taken over by somebody else," Nerys said. "We were dealing with the original Tarkio crew all along--whoever they were."

"It gets even better," Sisko said. "After I checked with the Transport Authority on Bajor, they've discovered that the Tarkio's manifest was a complete lie. The passengers they were here to pick up from Bajor? They ever existed. What's the status on the sensor sweep, Old Man?"

"Completely clean," Jadzia reported. "We ran it twice, Benjamin. There's no explosive device present on the station."

"Just to be on the safe side," Odo interjected, "I've also had my deputies, along with Starfleet security personnel, search the various nooks and crannies where a bomb might be strategically hidden. We came up with nothing, as well."

"And, as you know, Captain," Nerys began, "the Tarkio was the only civilian vessel docked at the station within the last twenty six hours. The list of non-civilian ships docked here consists of just the Defiant, and the Safire."

"The Safire's an Akira-Class vessel undergoing an overhaul of her main engines," O'Brien spoke up. "Captain Hansen was kind enough to order a search of his own ship for us. Nothing unusual to report there."

"The Defiant has also been cleared, as well," Worf said.

Julian looked uneasy. "The fact that we haven't found anything amiss seems to be just as disturbing to me than if we _did_ find a bomb. One of Odo's deputies lost her life because of this incident, and we still don't even know why."

"The crew of the Tarkio are the lowest form of cowards," Worf growled. "They are without honor, and shall be hunted down like the petaQ that they are."

"Constable," Sisko suddenly said, his tone soft. "I haven't had the chance to say this before. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Odo stared at him for a moment--and to Nerys, he looked momentarily caught off guard by the consolation. Then Odo grimly nodded his head. "She was an excellent deputy," he stated coolly, "one who knew very well the risks of her job."

He then sat back and primly crossed his arms, as if the subject was closed.

When Jadzia shot her an awkward glance, Nerys realized what she meant earlier--Odo certainly didn't appear to be too shaken over Deputy Élan's death. Nerys couldn't help but be puzzled at this revelation.

"So we have a ship and crew who weren't what they appeared to be," Sisko summed up, "who wanted to leave DS9 so badly they ripped off a chunk of the station in doing so."

"Not to mention they sabotaged the tractor beams," Jadzia reminded him.

"Yes, how's the investigation going on that front?" Sisko asked.

"Slowly," O'Brien replied. "Whoever it was--and we can assume it was the crew of the Tarkio--they hacked into the system with a computer virus." He gestured at Jadzia. "But that's really more the Commander's specialty than mine."

"I've located the virus within the central computer core and isolated it," Jadzia said. "The tractor beam system is back online. However, the computer virus, once it was isolated and locked out, immediately began to deteriorate."

"It self-destructed?" Sisko asked.

Jadzia nodded with an annoyed look. "Which prevents us from trying to track down whoever created the virus in the first place."

"And so we're back to square one," Julian said with a sigh.

"Perhaps not," Odo told him. He glanced at Sisko. "The Tarkio had a false registry, Captain, one that was listed with the Kaferian government. That sort of thing isn't easy to create; it takes a skilled expert to do it. If I can track down who created the illegal registry for the Tarkio…."

"You can track down the Tarkio and her crew," Sisko said with a nod. "Do it, Constable. And keep me appraised."

The conference broke up shortly after that, and Nerys hurried to keep pace with Odo, who walked briskly towards the first turbo lift in the corridor. Despite his behavior that she had witnessed before, Nerys refused to believe that Odo could just so coldly sweep aside the death of his protégé. She figured he must be in some form of shock, or perhaps it was denial.

He nodded at her as they got on the turbo lift. "You headed for the Promenade, as well?"

"Yes," Nerys lied. She was actually on her way to Ops, but she figured that this little detour--along with her white lie--wouldn't hurt. "How are you holding up, Odo?"

Odo glanced at her with surprise, as if that was the last question he'd expected to hear. "Quite well, thank you, Major," he replied amicably. "And yourself?"

Nerys stared at him, stunned. "I'm still deeply saddened by what happened."

"Yes, well, security breaches like this are always hard to accept," he replied, with a tinge of regret. "But they're a fact of life in a busy port of call like this station."

The turbo lift stopped and the door opened on the familiar noise and bustle of the Promenade. Odo strode out--until, noticing that Nerys wasn't with him, he stopped and glanced back at her. "Something wrong, Major?"

Nerys was about to ask if there was something wrong with _him_, because now Odo acted as if Élan Li never even existed. But then she realized that, perhaps this _was_ Odo's way of dealing with Li's death--to brush it under the rug for now while he dove into his work. It seemed like a cold thing to do, but then, Nerys supposed that Odo really wasn't like the rest of them. Perhaps Changelings just had a different way of dealing with loss then she and the others did.

"No, nothing wrong," Nerys replied, as she stepped out of the turbo lift. She figured that, since Odo was so intent on proceeding with business as usual, she might as well accommodate him. "I know you're very busy, Constable. But we've also had another complaint about excess noise from the habitat ring."  
"Not the Deltans, again?"

"Yes, them again."

"Very well. I'm on my way to speak with Quark, to see what he knows about illegal ship registries. So Deputy Élan can handle the noise complaint for me."

"Odo!" Nerys said, shocked.

He stared at her, not comprehending. "Yes, Major? What is it?"

Nerys shook her head, baffled. "You just said you would let Deputy Élan handle the noise complaint. But Deputy Élan is…."

"…gone," he finished for her, his voice intensely wracked with pain. "She's…gone…."

"Odo!" Nerys cried, alarmed, as he began to swoon. His head and shoulders drooped, as if a deep depression had struck him.

Then Nerys took a horrified step backwards as Odo abruptly melted into a large puddle on the floor in front of her feet.

**To Be Concluded....**


	2. Chapter 2

**Star Trek: Deep Space Nine**

**Grief **

**Chapter Two**

"Odo?" Nerys helplessly asked the puddle that lay at her feet. The shimmering liquid offered no evidence that Odo heard her, or if he were even alive.

An abrupt decline in the ambient noise caught Nerys' attention, as she glanced around her and saw throngs of people on the Promenade, curious at the scene before them, had now gathered around for a better look.

"Everybody stay back, please!" Nerys ordered. She was grateful for the several Bajoran military and Starfleet personnel in the crowds who heeded her order and instantly formed a human/Bajoran fence between the crowds and what was once Odo.

"Keep them back," Nerys told one of them, a female Starfleet security officer with the rank of lieutenant. "Don't let anybody step on…him. I'll be right back."

"Yes, Major," she said with a crisp nod.

Nerys ran from the scene, hating with every fiber of her being to leave Odo like that. She didn't know what had happened, and a dark part of her mind wondered if she had just seen Odo die. Nerys prayed to the Prophets that that wasn't the case; that Odo was still alive. But regardless of what just happened, Nerys wasn't about to give up on Odo.

She reached Quark's where she found its odious little owner smiling at her behind the bar. "Good news, Major! We've found some of your--"

"Never mind that," she said urgently. "I need some kind of a bucket, right away!"

"A bucket?!" Quark said with a strange look. "You feeling ill, Major? Maybe you should be seeing Doctor Bas--"

One of the Dabo girls let out a startled scream as Nerys grabbed Quark by the throat with both of her hands and pulled him over the bar so that they were face to face.

"I am not in the mood for any of your stupid games," she snarled at him. "Either you give me a bucket right now, or they'll be carrying _you_ out of here in a bucket!"

"Ok, ok," Quark said, as he stared fearfully at her. "J-Just let me go, and I'll get you your bucket, all right?"

When Nerys released him, Quark practically tore the bar upside-down in his search for a bucket. He found one, quickly checked it for cleanliness, and then handed it to her.

Nerys grabbed the bucket from him and ran back to where Odo had collapsed. She was grateful to see that the ring of Bajoran/Starfleet personnel still kept the crowds away from Odo, who remained nothing more than a puddle on the floor.

"Have you noticed any change?" she asked the lieutenant. "Has he moved at all?"

"Not that we could see, Major," she replied.

Nerys knelt down at the edge of the puddle and turned the bucket over on its side. "Odo? I don't know if you can hear me, but I've found something that can hold you. It's right here, just follow the sound of my voice."

She was grateful to see the puddle suddenly shudder, then it solidified enough into a basic tube-like shape that sought out the bucket with its edge. Nerys pushed the bucket right up against the shimmering mass. "Here it is, Odo."

Odo then slithered right inside the bucket. When Nerys held it back up, she saw that Odo had reverted back into a liquid state inside. "I'll get you back to your quarters, Odo. Just hold on."

Nerys stood up--then paused when she saw Quark standing there with an anxious expression on his face. "Will the Constable be all right, Major?"

His interest seemed sincere. So Nerys nodded. "He'll be fine, just as soon as I get him back to his quarters." She stepped past him, then stopped. "Hey Quark, um, sorry…about…you know…."

"Actually, it was always my dream to be touched by you, Major," Quark shot back. He then rubbed his neck. "Just…not quite so _roughly_…."

Nerys just shook her head in disgust as she ran off with Odo cradled in her arms.

###

When Odo finally awoke, he wondered what he was doing in his bucket so soon. It wasn't time yet for him to rest. Then he grew alarmed when he realized that the last memory he had in his solid form was speaking to Major Kira on the Promenade.

'How did I wind up here?' he wondered. 'What happened?'

He emerged from the bucket, and then, once on the floor, solidified into his usual form. A glance at the chronometer on the wall told him that several hours had passed. Another glance at the bucket he had just emerged from told Odo that it wasn't even his usual sleeping place. He was just about to call Ops to find out just what was going on when he caught sight of something so extraordinary that it stopped him in his tracks.

It was Major Kira. She was in his quarters, curled up fast asleep in a chair by the window. She still wore her uniform, yet had made herself at home by removing her boots.

If Odo was curious to know what had happened before, now he was absolutely insatiable. He almost felt like a protagonist in one of those old earth detective novels who woke up to find themselves in an inexplicable situation with no knowledge of what went on before. Usually they wound up being framed for a crime they did not commit, such as having murdered the dead body that they woke up in the same room with.

'Thankfully, that won't happen here,' Odo thought. 'Major Kira's only sleeping; she's not actually--" Then he gave the sleeping Kira a double take. 'Wait, she _is_ sleeping, isn't she?!'

Odo leaned over and inspected Major Kira very closely. He was pleased--and relieved--to see that she was in a deep sleep.

At least until Kira awoke with an alarmed cry, which also startled Odo to the point where he backed away. Kira arose from the chair, half asleep, with her body in a combat stance.

"Take it easy, Major," Odo said, as he held his hands up. "My apologies for startling you."

Kira glanced around her momentarily, then let out a heavy sigh of relief when she realized everything was all right. She then gave Odo a strange look. "Why were you leaning over me like that?"

"Just checking to see if you were all right," Odo replied. "I awoke to find myself here, with you sleeping in the chair. I wasn't sure what had happened."

"Are _you_ all right?"

He nodded. "Yes, if a little confused."

"You don't recall what happened?"

"I remember speaking to you on the Promenade," Odo said, as he searched his memories. "And then I found myself--along with you--right here."

"You collapsed into a liquid form--into a puddle--right on the Promenade," Kira told him. "I got a bucket from Quark's and brought you back here. You've no memory of that?"

Odo shook his head, feeling concerned. Then it hit him: he recalled what they had been discussing. "Élan Li…."

Just saying her name now was painful for Odo, as if salt had been poured into an open wound. He thought back to the last time they spoke; it was over their comm-badges, when Li told him that she had assembled an armed team and were on their way up the pylon. Li had asked if Odo had wanted them to wait for him.

"I never should have let her go up," Odo whispered regretfully. "I should have made them wait for me, and then maybe Li would still be alive now."

"Odo, listen to me," Kira said softly. "It wasn't your fault."

"It was, Major," he insisted. "I am the Constable, the chief of security aboard this station. I should have been right there when it happened."

Kira placed her hand on his arm. "But you can't be everywhere at once. And you can't blame yourself for Li's death--anymore than I can blame myself for the people who've died under my command."

"In any event," Odo said grimly. "I've now got a new problem to deal with--namely, why did I collapse on the Promenade like that?"

She stared thoughtfully at him for a moment. "I think we both know why you collapsed on the Promenade, Odo. Li's death has affected you far more than you've thought."

Odo shook his head. "I've lost Deputies before, Major. While I was deeply saddened at their loss, I've never reacted like this."

"That's because none of the others were like Li. She was your protégé, Odo. But she was also much more. She was a good friend to you. Despite the fact that you tried to move on by treating her death just like it was any other, a part of you, the part that cared for Li, rebelled--which was why you collapsed on the Promenade."

"You're saying I'm suffering from a psychosomatic illness?"

"I'm saying you're suffering from grief," she replied. "And there's nothing wrong with that."

Odo was about to argue, yet a deep-rooted feeling within him confirmed that what Major Kira said was true. Odo did miss Élan Li terribly--so much so that it ached. Yet there was something else that he also realized: the fact that Major Kira was here at all. It would have been enough for Odo had Kira simply brought him back to his quarters, but he was touched by the very notion that she had stayed with him like this.

Kira's comm-badge beeped. "Sisko to Kira."

"Kira here, sir."

"Just checking on how Odo's doing."

When Kira gestured at him, Odo tapped his comm-badge. "I'm here, Captain. I'm doing fine, thank you."

"Excellent to hear, Constable. If you're feeling up to it, I'd like you to join us in my office for a strategy session in a half hour, once Dr. Bashir clears you for duty."

"Looking forward to it, sir. Odo out."

"I'd better get going," Kira said, as she sat down and pulled her boots back on. "Guess I'll be seeing you at that meeting."

Odo nodded. "I'd just like to thank you, Major, for all that you've done for me just now. I appreciate it."

"What are friends for?" Kira asked, as she got to her feet. She then paused at the door and added, "By the way, Odo, you _can_ call me Nerys, you know."

"Yes, Nerys. I'd like that."

The examination in the infirmary was quite routine; Dr. Bashir quickly cleared Odo for active duty. Once the exam was over, Odo went to the room where Li's covered body was, and saw that it was not there.

"Deputy Élan's body has been placed in stasis," Bashir informed him. "Her family are on their way from Bajor now."

"I see. Will the services be on the station?"

"They didn't say."

"That decision is entirely up to the family, of course," Odo said.

"No law stopping us from having our own service right here on the station," Bashir told him. "Deputy Élan had many friends here, who I'm sure would very much like to pay their final respects."

"You're right, doctor," Odo replied. "Good idea."

As Odo started to go to the Captain's office, there was something about the conversation he just had with Dr. Bashir that bothered him. It wasn't so much the conversation itself, but the fact that Dr. Bashir mentioned Élan Li's family were on their way to the station that had stirred up something at the back of Odo's mind.

Then, right while Odo strode through the Promenade, it struck him. The Tarkio's cover story was that they expected passengers. Within two days, DS9 would have known their cover story was false, but the Tarkio crew weren't planning to be here then. He wished he knew what they were up to on the station. What was worth killing Li? Another odd thing for Odo was the fact that the Tarkio ripped off the station's docking clamps in its haste to leave. They could have disengaged themselves easily from the station, without causing any loss of life, or damage.

Odo and the others had all assumed that this hasty retreat was done in panic, to get away from a bomb that they'd planted on the station. But what if the panic was a result of something else, of a situation that was completely different?

Yes, of course.

Instead of the Captain's office, Odo went directly over Quark's, where he sought out the bar's owner. Quark was busy carrying a tray of glasses over to the bar when he saw Odo enter.

"Odo, good to see you up and about again," Quark said.

"Thank you, Quark. I just need to ask you some questions about the Tarkio."

Quark waved his hand. "If you're here to ask me about illegal ship registries, you can save your breath. Worf just asked me, and I'll tell you the same thing I told him: I'm out of the loop as far as that thing's concerned." He shuddered with repulsion. "You know, Worf could use a good lesson in manners…but what am I saying? He's a Klingon, after all."

"What about targets of interest on the station for a crew of thieves?" Odo asked. "Not necessarily Starfleet, or Federation…but anything that might come to mind?"

Quark gave him a frown. "You're thinking the Tarkio crew were just common thieves?"

"Perhaps. We've looked at this from the angle of being a Dominion plot, but found nothing. What if the Tarkio crew were simply here to steal something specific? Have you heard of anything being on the station worth stealing?"

Quark shook his head. "No, nothing comes to mind. Ironically, I would have been the one with a valuable shipment of latinum, if not for a deal that went sour."

"What deal?"

"I was trying to sell a shipment of what I thought were Gorn diamonds, but they turned out to be Gorn quartz," Quark said. "I received a very good offer for them, but the buyer abruptly withdrew. I think he might have found out they were nothing more than quartz…which are still pretty to look at, but they're not diamonds, if you get my meaning."  
"I take it that you didn't tell the buyer up front that what he was getting was nothing more than worthless quartz?" Odo asked.

"Uh, that might have slipped my mind," Quark replied.

"Yes, just as I might imagine," Odo said, with a shake of his head. "Would you mind if we inspect the quartz right now?"

Once they arrived in the cargo hold, Quark let out a screech of horror at the sight before them. The seals on the container that held the quartz had been broken. Before he let Quark open the container, Odo did a pass over the seals with his tricorder. Sure enough, there was fresh DNA, barely several hours old, that was human in origin. It didn't match any of the Starfleet personnel who presently served aboard the station.

Odo called Captain Sisko, who came down to the cargo hold with Worf and Major Kir--Nerys. When Odo explained the situation to them, Worf merely shrugged and said, "What does this have to do with the situation at hand?"

"Everything," Odo told him. "Instead of being part of a Dominion plot, my belief is that the crew of the Tarkio were merely common thieves who were after Quark's diamonds."

"But they weren't real diamonds," Nerys said.

"Yes, but the crew of the Tarkio didn't know that at the time," Odo replied. "Once they did discover that these were merely common quartz, they fled the station in a panic. Perhaps they thought they were the targets of a sting operation."

"It's a good lead," Sisko said. "But it brings us no closer to finding out where the Tarkio went."

"I have an idea of who I can speak to regarding that," Odo said. He turned to Quark and asked, "Give me the name of your buyer for the Gorn diamonds."

Frelik wasn't a very hard Ferengi to find. He was in his quarters, sound asleep with a Dabo girl in bed, when Odo and his deputies found him. The Dabo girl quickly left the quarters, tucking a few strips of latinum in-between her ample cleavage, as Odo rousted Frelik from his deep slumber.

Once dressed, the Ferengi was roughly manhandled all the way down to Odo's office, where Odo had him placed in a particularly dark and dank looking cell that he liked to use for interrogations.

Odo left Frelik alone in the cell for a solid hour before he even entered the room. And by then, Frelik looked as if he were ready to talk.

"I understand you were engaged in a transaction with Quark, the owner of the bar here on DS9," Odo said, as he slowly walked around Frelik, who sat fidgeting nervously in a chair. "The transaction was over a shipment of diamonds that had been mined from the Gorn home world."

In response, Frelik began to bawl like a baby. "I admit it!" he cried. "I wanted to get the diamonds without having to pay for them, so I set up the heist."

Odo leaned over and glared right into his face. "So _you_ were responsible for the death of one of my deputies, the injuries to several others, as well as the massive damage caused to this station!"

"I had no idea that it would turn out like it did! They were just supposed to steal the diamonds and leave on the next shuttle!" Frelik said.

"Did the Tarkio crew know that what they were stealing were just worthless quartz, Frelik?"

He stared at Odo in shock. "Quartz? It was just quartz?"

Odo stepped back and wearily pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. 'It's bad enough that a good woman like Élan Li died as a result of a bunch of common thieves, but now it's obvious that they weren't very good thieves to begin with.'

"Look, I'll make amends to you," Frelik said. "Just name your price…."

"My price is information," Odo said. "I want the whereabouts of the crew of the Tarkio. Give me that, help me to lock them up, and I'll ask for leniency for you."

"You want to know where they are? Easy! They're in the Milacron system," Frelik said with a wave of his hand. "In the southern hemisphere of the fourth planet from the sun. That's their usual hideout after they pull off a job."

After he gave Odo the exact coordinates, Frelik cheerfully asked, "Does this mean I can go, now?"

Odo glared at him. "Can you bring Deputy Élan Li back to life?"

"Um, no…."

"Then that answers your question, now, doesn't it?"

###

The Defiant made swift work of the Tarkio, which they found parked in orbit of the fourth planet in the Milacron system. All it took was one phaser hit to its engines, and the ship--which was the only means of escape for the crew--was dead in the water, so to speak. Then it was a simple matter of beaming down to the planet's surface and rounding up the crewmembers, who were a motley assortment of thieves and scoundrels that Odo had ever seen.

Odo saw why the crew chose this place as their haven after a job; it was a tropical paradise, complete with warm beaches and swaying palm trees that lay right on the edge of a vast ocean. At one point, just after they had rounded up and arrested the Tarkio's crew, Jadzia Dax had turned to Nerys and said, "To hell with Quark's holo-suites! The next time we feel like going for a swim, maybe we should just come here!"

It was on the ride back to DS9, while he interrogated the Tarkio's crew aboard the Defiant, that Odo discovered that a human among them matched the DNA that he found on Quark's container of quartz in the cargo hold. He was a well-worn man in his thirties who, judging from the scars on his face and body, looked as if he'd never missed a fight in his life.

When Odo brought him in for a private interrogation in a room aboard the Defiant, the man, Norco Andres--demanded to know who was going to pay for the damage to the Tarkio, which was being towed behind the Defiant.

"Do you own the Tarkio?" Odo asked him.

"I'm the owner and sole pilot," Andres bragged. "And I intend to file my own charges against Bajor and the Federation once this unlawful arrest is finally resolved."

"Unlawful arrest?" Odo said, as he grew very annoyed. "Mr. Andres, your DNA was on the container of quartz that you and your accomplices tried to steal. Not to mention that pieces of the Deep Space Nine space station are still clinging to the side of your ship! Plus, your boss, Frelik, completely sold you out--oh, I'd say we have a very good case against you."

"Then there's nothing further for us to say to each other," Andres muttered. "I'll see you in court."

"You said you were the owner and sole pilot?" Odo asked. "Were you piloting the ship when it left DS9, taking part of the docking collar with it?"

"No comment."

Odo leaned forward. "Did you know that a young woman, a deputy by the name of Élan Li, died as a direct result of that incident? Oh yes, you're also looking at a murder charge, plus charges of attempted murder, as well."

"Were you there, Constable?" Andres asked.

Odo flinched, as if stung. "No, I wasn't…."

"Too bad," Andres sneered. "Because then you would have been blown into space right along with your little tart girlfriend. And _I'd_ be spared the annoyance of listening to you yammering away right now."

When he looked back on this moment, Odo could not recall exactly when he had lost his temper. But the next thing Odo knew was that he stood up from the table with his hand tightly squeezing Andres' throat with a vise-like grip. Odo had to admit, it was most satisfying to see Andres gasping for air, as his eyes bulged out of their sockets. It was good to make him feel what Li must have felt just before she died.

The door opened, and when Odo glanced back, he saw Worf enter the room. If the Klingon was alarmed by this scene, he did not show it. Instead, he walked over to Odo and gave him an approving nod.

"If you wish," Worf told Odo in a conspiratorial whisper, "I could guard the door for you while you wring the life out of this petaQ. We can then make up a story about how he tried to escape. But we shall have to make sure we can adequately explain his--"

"No!" Odo said, repulsed by the very idea. He immediately released Andres, who fell to the floor with his hands around his neck, gratefully sucking in air. "What you're proposing is horrendous! He shall face proper justice in the court."

Worf merely nodded at him. "Very well, Constable. Shall I escort the prisoner back to the brig?"

"If you would, please, Commander."  
Odo went with Worf, just to make certain the Klingon did not do anything untoward to Andres. But the journey back to the brig was uneventful. When they both emerged outside in the cramped corridor, something occurred to Odo. He turned to Worf and said, "Thank you, Commander."

"For what, Constable?"

"For what you did back there," Odo said. "By suggesting we do such a terrible thing as murdering a prisoner and covering it up, you shocked me back into reality. So…thank you."

Yet Worf merely smiled mysteriously as he continued to stroll down the corridor.

"Mr. Worf," Odo said anxiously. "You _were_ just saying those things just to shock me, correct? You didn't really _mean_ what you said back there, did you?"

Now Worf's smile spread into a broad grin. "Excuse me, Constable," he said with a slight bow. "But I am required on the bridge."

A puzzled Odo stared after Worf in the corridor, wondering if he should keep a close eye on the Klingon in the future.

###

**A day later…**

Odo was pleased that Li's family agreed to have her funeral held on the station. As her mother had commented to him, Li felt that Odo--and everyone else aboard DS9--were her extended family. After the funeral services, the family took the remains back to Bajor, while Li's friends and co-workers on the station met in a conference room that had been cleared for them, with tables set up along the edges that were loaded with food and drink--all supplied by Quark--surprisingly, free of charge.

When Odo saw the Ferengi was busy setting up another platter of food on one of the tables, he took the time to walk over to him. "I must say, Quark, that I'm quite shocked to see you donate your time, along with everything else, for no payment."

Quark shot him an insulted look. "What am I, an ogre? Deputy Élan came into the bar often enough so that I got to know her, too."

Odo held up a hand. "I meant no offense."

"Well, good," Quark said, as he calmed down. "Besides, I feel like this is partially my fault, anyway. After all, she was killed because of that stupid container filled with quartz."

"You can't be blamed for what happened, Quark."

"Maybe not, but I felt like this was the least I could do."

Odo gave him an approving nod. "It's much appreciated, Quark."

Quark stared at him fearfully. "You're not gonna hug me, or anything, are you?"

Odo folded his arms and shook his head. "No, Quark, I am not going to hug you…."

"Good," Quark muttered with a relieved look. "I was starting to think you were getting soft on me, Constable."

"I wouldn't count on that ever happening, either, Quark."

Odo mingled with the guests; while somber, the occasion still felt somewhat like a party as people joyfully remembered the life of Élan Li. He was pleased to see the entire command staff was there, along with those of his deputies who were off duty. Odo was even pleasantly surprised to see Jake Sisko and Cassidy Yates, as well as Keiko O'Brien. He took condolences from them all, and reminisced with them over the happy times spent with Li--yet there was one person whom Odo did not see here, and she was the last he'd expected to be absent.

Then he saw her standing at one of the windows, staring out into space.

Odo walked up beside Nerys and when he saw that she had been crying, he asked, "Are you all right?"

"No," Nerys said, with a slight smile. "But that's how I'm supposed to feel, right?"

He nodded. "I want to thank you, Nerys, for your help in setting up the services."

"It was my pleasure," she replied. "I'm a little surprised, Odo. I never thought you were very religious."

"No, I'm not religious at all," he said. "But Li was, intensely so. And by arranging a formal service of her faith, I wanted to properly honor her memory."

"Oh, Odo, that's so touching!" Nerys said, as her eyes welled up with tears. "Look at me, here I go again! I haven't been able to stop crying all day."

"It's grief, Nerys," Odo told her. "I should know, because I feel the same way. And, as someone very wise and intelligent once told me, there's nothing wrong with it."

Nerys smiled up at him with deep affection as she took his hand into hers. They both stood there for a time, hand in hand, as they silently gazed at the wondrous beauty of the stars beyond the window.

**The End**


End file.
